Nail driver



Jam 28 1941- J. M. NEWELL, SR 2,229,868

` NAIL DRIVER Filed Aug. 29, 123% w v ATTORNEY.

Patented Jan. 28, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

ically be locked in its various positions of movement when the nail is being driven and provided with means for easily and quickly releasing the driving plunger for movement to its initial or starting position.

Another object of the invention is the provision in a nail driver of this class of means for retaining the nail in position prior to the irnpact of the driving plunger thereagainst.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a nail driver which will be light, durable, compact, highly eiiicient in use and easily operated.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a nail driver of this class having a plunger constantly in contact with the head of the nail during the driving operations.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by a reference to the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this specification, and in which,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal, central, sectional view of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3--3 ci Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal, central, sectional view of a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a sectional View taken on line ii--G of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7--1 -0 of Fig. 5.

As shown in the drawing the invention cornprises a hollow body I2 which serves as a gripping portion and on the upper end of which is threaded a head I3 having a bore I4 formed 55 therethrough communicating with the laterally positioned recess I5. Threaded on the lower end of the member I2 is a guide tip I6 having a bore I'I formed centrally therethrough.

Formed in this guide tip IB are the radial passages 23 and 24 in each of which is positioned a ball 25 thrust inwardly so as to project into the bore I'I by means of the spring 26 which is held in position by the plug 21. These balls 25 serve as retainers for gripping the opposite sides of the finishing nail 22 which is positioned in the bore I'I.

Slideably projected through the bores I4 formed in the head I3 is a rod Z8 having the striking head 48 formed at its upper end. Fixediy mounted on the inner end of the rod 28 within the barrel I2 is a collar 29 and a driving plunger 30 of reduced diameter forms an extension of the rod 28 projecting beyond the location of the collar 29. Embracing this driving plunger 30 is a spring 3| one end of which engages against the collar 29 and the other end of which engages against the end of the guide tip I6. As clearly appears in Fig. 1, the driving plunger 20 engages its end with the head of the nail 22 when the same is held in position between the retaining balls 25. The construction is such that when the rod 28 is driven downwardly the driving plunger 3B will move the nail 22 outwardly of the tip I6. Mounted on the end of the tip I6 is an abutment shoe 2l formed from rubber or other suitable iiexible material which would rest against the surface into which the nail 22 is to be driven. It will be noted that the shoe 2l projects beyond the end of the tip I6 so that the end of the tip IB cannot come into contact with the surface into which the nail is to be driven. The driving plunger 3i] is of suiicient length as to project beyond the end of the tip IB when it is moved downwardly and this projection is sufficient to countersink the nail 22 in the surface into which it is driven.

An engagement. pawl 32 is positioned in the recess I 5 and pivots on the pin 35. This pin may be projected through the pawl at any one ofv the openings 34 formed therein. Extending outwardly from the pawl 32 is a gripping handle 33 whereby the pawl may be rocked on its pivot, the spring 36 serving to normally retain the handle rocked outwardly from the barrel I2. The inner face of the pawl is provided with a groove 3l which embraces the rod 28, the groove 21 serving as a cam surface to lock the rod 28 from moving upwardly in response to the pressure of the spring 3|. The construction in the mounting shown in Fig. 1 is such that as the rod 28 is driven downwardly, this rod will slide along the groove 3'I` but the spring 36 will retain the pawl 32 rocked to a position so that should the rod attempt to move outwardly in response to the pressure of the spring 3|, the cam surface would serve to bind the rod against such outward movement. To release the rod for outward movement, it would be but necessary to rockthe pawl 32 by pressing the handle 33 inwardly toward the barrel I2 against the compression of the spring 36. 6o

If the pivot pin 35 were mounted at the central opening 34, the pawl would serve as a binding member when rocked in either direction. It would serve to lock the plunger from downward movement when the pawl is acted upon by the force of the spring 36, and to prevent upward movement of the plunger when the handle 33 is pressed inwardly by the operator. In order to position the pawl so that it will permit the plungl er to move in either direction it will be necessary to rock and hold the pawl in its neutral position, that is, in a position where the cam surfaces on either side of the pivot point of the pawl will not contact the driver. If the pivot pin 35 is projected through the upper opening 34, it would be necessary to retain the handle 33 pressed inwardly toward the barrel I2 in order` to effect the locking engagement. In such a mounting, the operator would hold the device with his fingers around the handle 33 when driving the rod 28 downwardly and when it was desired to permit the rod 28 to return to its initial position the inward pressure on the handle 33 would be released and the spring 36 would function to move the pawl 32 to releasing position. In Fig. 5 I have shown a slightly modied form of construction in which the rod 28', which corresponds to the rod 28, is provided with ratchet teeth 5l adapted to engage the ratchet dog 38 projecting outwardly from the pawl 32 which carries the gripping handle 33 pressed outwardly by the spring 36. It is believed that the operation of this locking mechanism is obvious from the description and illustration. The ratchet dog 38 serving to engage each successive tooth 5l as the rod 28' is driven inwardly and a pressing of the handle 33 inwardly toward the barrel I2 effecting the release.

The collar 23' corresponds to the collar 29 40j and projecting outwardly from this@ collar is the driving plunger 3B embracing which is the spring 3l. Inserted in the guide tip I5 is a barrel 2B having slots I3 and I9 formed therein. Secured to the barrel 2@ at one of their 45 ends, are leaf springs I8 and I9 which flex inwardly in the slots I3 and I9', respectively, and serve to releasably engage the nail 22. These resilient holding members I8 and I9 correspond to and perform the function of the spring press balls 50 25. This barrel 2t is positioned in the enlarged opening 26 formed in the tip IG and snugly engages therein as a press t. By removing the barrel and replacing it with one having difierently spaced springs I8 and I9 the device may be 55 adjusted for various size nails. Mounted on the end of the guiding tip IS is the yieldable contact shoe 2I.

In use, the nails are inserted into the device through the end of the guiding tip I3 or I6 until 60 the head passes beyond the balls 25 or the curved terminal portion of the springs I8 and I9. When this has been accomplished, the nail will be held in the position shown in Fig. l and Fig. 4. When the nails have been secured in the device in this 65 manner, they may be easily and quickly driven into the body to be nailed and countersunk at the iinishing of the driving operation. The nails may be driven in without danger of bending and by counter-sinking the nail at the last driving 70 blow, considerable time wil be saved.

Carpenters frequently, by hand, press a number of nails into the wood to be nailed and then proceed to successively drive these nails, individually, into the wood. The present device would not interfere with such a practice of nailing as the tip I6 or I8 would then be thrust over each nail which had been started by hand pressure into the wood and the driving of the nail proceeded with in the usual manner.

Experience has shown that the device makes it possible to considerably speed up the work of driving nails, particularly finishing nails, which are countersunk after the driving operation. The compactness of the device permits its use in Very close quarters in corners and the like so that the tool is practicable for all purposes. It is light and its durability is believed obvious from the type of construction illustrated.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction, I do not wish to limit mysehq to the precise details of structure shown, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as may come within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new is:

l. A nail driver of the class described, comprising: a tubular handle; a head on one end of said handle and having a bore formed therethrough axially thereof; a guide tip on the opposite end of said handle and having an axially directed bore formed therethrough; a rod slidably projected through the bore of said head and projected at one end into said handle; a driving plunger carried by the inner end of said rod and extending axially of said handle and projectible at an end into the bore formed in said tip for driving therefrom a nail positioned therein; a spring for normally maintaining said rod thrust outwardly for retaining said plunger in normal position; rockable releasable means engageable with. said rod for releasably securing the same in its various positions of inward movement, said means having a plurality of spaced openings formed therethrough for reception of a pivot pin; and a pivot pin projectible through said openings selectively for pivotally mounting said means on said head.

2. A nail driver of the class described, comprising a tubular handle; a head on one end of said handle and having a bore formed therethrough axially thereof; a guide tip on the opposite end of said handle and having an axially directed bore formed therethrough; a rod projected through the bore of said head and projected at one end into said handle; a driving plunger carried by the inner end of said rod and extending at one end into the bore formed in said tip for driving therefrom a nail positioned therein; a spring for normally maintaining said rod thrust outwardly for retaining said plunger in normal position; a cam mechanism mounted rockably on said head and engageable with said rod for preventing axial movement of the same; a handle mounted on and projecting outwardly from said cam mechanism for affording means for rocking said cam mechanism on its mountings into nonengaging position relatively to said rod; and resilient means engageable with said first mentioned handle and said second mentioned handle for resisting rocking movement of said cam mechanism in one direction.

JOHN M. NEWELL, SP.. 

